Perhaps we all want to not only appear, but also be truly smart people. Many people believe that if certain skills are not laid down in childhood, then they will not be acquired later. Perhaps there is some truth in such an assumption, but not in this case - it is never too late to become an intelligent person if you have the desire for it.
If you have decided that it is time to increase your level of intelligence, we recommend that you begin this process taking into account some simple recommendations.- Train your memory. To do this, try to set aside at least thirty minutes every day to memorize a verse, because, probably, the last time you did this was back in your school years. This is a very good workout for the mind! Moreover, you can choose simple poems first, and then move on to more complex ones. You can also practice memorizing on a grocery list - make a list, read it carefully, put it in your bag and try to buy everything you need in a store without looking at it. When you think you have completed the task, look at the list to make sure. Drink coffee periodically– thanks to this you will be able to stay in good shape longer and also maintain concentration. Try not to overdo it with this drink - a large amount of caffeine will overstimulate the nervous system and will not allow you to think rationally. Eat the “right” foods. First of all, pay attention to walnuts - they even hint at the fact that they are extremely beneficial for the brain. By eating them, you will improve brain activity and memory. Fish, which is known to be rich in iodine, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which provide a rapid flow of energy to the brain, will also bring a lot of benefits. Crosswords. It would seem that this is quite banal, but the usual solving of crossword puzzles has a quite stimulating effect on brain activity. Studying of foreign language Not only will it benefit you when traveling, but it will also have an excellent effect on memory development, which, of course, helps you remember more information and, therefore, make you smarter. Knowledge. Never waste an opportunity to gain new knowledge - for example, if you have a few free minutes, we recommend that you open Wikipedia and read a couple of random articles. Rest. Periodically give your brain a rest - if you have been engaged in active mental activity for several hours in a row, then you definitely need to rest for at least an hour. Do some light exercise or allow yourself a small cup of natural coffee. Don't forget to get a good night's sleep, because it is during sleep that the brain processes the information received during the day. According to scientists, 6-8 hours of sleep per day is enough for an adult, but no less than that. Try starting a new type of activity. This will not only help distract you from the routine, but will also force your brain to adapt to a previously unfamiliar process, and therefore to train. Read more books, and keep in mind that the more complex the works, the better for your brain.
How to become smart in your studies
Achieving a reputation as the smartest student in the class takes some effort. So where to start: 1) Listen carefully to the teacher in class. Some students believe that to study a particular topic, it is enough to read the required section in textbooks. Yes, as a rule, this gives general knowledge, but you can hear various interesting details from the teacher. By the way, teachers often tell you something that has nothing to do with the compulsory school curriculum, but this information will later benefit you and may come in handy at the most unexpected moment. In addition, if you listen to the teacher in class, this will significantly save your time - at least, you will not have to study the information already presented at home. 2) Always do your homework. You should never ignore homework. Even if you think that the given topic is completely uninteresting and will not be useful to you in the future, this does not negate the fact that such classes will be a wonderful workout for the mind. In addition, you cannot guarantee that you will never need this information. In addition, one insignificant, in your opinion, topic may subsequently become the basis for more serious and necessary material, which, without the paragraphs you have ignored, will not be fully understandable to you. And, of course, doing your homework regularly will protect you from bad grades. 3) Be interested in and study various sciences beyond the school curriculum. Schoolchildren and students who truly want to be erudite will not be limited by the knowledge that is included in the curriculum. Study all the topics you like in more depth - for sure, in this way you will make many impressive discoveries for yourself. In addition, more in-depth knowledge will allow you to get excellent grades, and this is also important. However, it is not necessary to study in more detail only those topics that are already in the school curriculum. Expand your boundaries - read about interesting historical facts, chemical and physical experiments. We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with classic masterpieces and highly regarded modern works that were not mentioned in literature lessons.
6) Solve different math problems and puzzles. Solving various math problems and interesting puzzles can be a great workout for the mind. If the tasks from the school textbook seem very boring to you, then pay attention to various fascinating puzzles that can be found on the Internet. You just need to type the query “Online puzzles” into a search engine and try your hand. He also recommends looking for various educational applications that can be downloaded to your phone, and solving extraordinary problems at any convenient moment - while standing in line at a store, sitting at a bus stop, and so on. 7) Don't give up if you don't succeed the first time. The mistake of many students is that they give up studying the material as soon as they come across some obstacle - for example, they do not understand this or that topic. If from time to time you are faced with the fact that you have difficulty studying a certain subject, then this is not at all a reason to abandon it altogether - go a different way! It is quite possible that one day you did not learn some little thing, and now this affects the assimilation of all the material. It is also possible that your teacher does not explain the topic clearly enough (this also happens!). Try to study an unclear paragraph from the very beginning, without missing a single detail. If you still encounter difficulties, contact a tutor. First, let’s define the word “erudite.” We are talking about a person who is able to demonstrate awareness of many issues, erudition, and good memory. It is worth noting that an erudite person cannot always be called smart, no matter how paradoxical this may sound. An intelligent person, comprehending some information, draws correct conclusions from it, which he puts into practice (for example, having learned about the dangers of alcohol, he will not abuse it), while at the same time, an erudite person, thanks to his excellent memory, can know all the nuances this or that question and nothing more (for example, he knows for sure that alcohol is harmful, but this does not mean at all that he will not abuse it). An erudite person sprinkles quotes, rich knowledge in a particular area and other information, for Due to which one may get the impression that he is incredibly smart. It is worth noting that this often turns out to be the case, but still, as we mentioned, there are exceptions. As you understand, in order to demonstrate erudition, it is necessary not only to read a lot and watch documentaries, but also to actively train your memory, to remember the material you have learned.
We all admire erudite people. How to become the same? The answer is simple - read more!
But you won’t be able to stay within your favorite genre. If you want to become erudite, you need to force yourself to explore the unknown shelves of bookstores.
Here are 14 timeless books covering a wide range of topics: politics, science, history, culture and more.
1. Classic: George Orwell, "1984"
George Orwell wrote this anti-communist novel in 1948, describing life in London 36 years later. He predicted a totalitarian state where the government, "Big Brother", is always watching everyone and dictating to a person what to say and what to think.
Some of his predictions have come true - for example, there are cameras everywhere in our cities, and we are searched from time to time to make sure that we do not have weapons on us.
This book is a must read - it talks about the consequences of giving the government too much control over citizens and their lives.
2. Pop culture: JK Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”
If you haven't read this or the next six books in the Harry Potter series, run to the bookstore.
The novel is about a boy who discovers on his 11th birthday that he is a wizard and goes to study at Hogwarts School of Wizardry.
3. Pop Culture: John Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
4. History: Anne Frank, “Refuge. Diary in letters"
5. Science: Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species
The work on the theory of evolution revolutionized science and became the cornerstone of modern biology.
Even if you do not agree with Darwin's theory, you still need to read the book - just for self-education.
And if the evolutionary view is close to you, it is even more worth reading “The Origin of Species” to better understand the theory.
6. Science: Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time
This book by the famous theoretical physicist and cosmologist was published in 1988.
In it, Hawking offers clear explanations of modern scientific concepts - time travel, general relativity and the history of the creation of the Universe.
7. Science: Bill Bryson, A Brief History of Almost Everything
Interestingly, the author is not a scientist. He was just very curious and decided that he wanted to understand science, and then he wrote this book to make the path easier for his followers.
8. Philosophy: Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”
"The Art of War" was written in the 5th century BC. e., but remains relevant today.
The author is the military strategist Sun Tzu, and his work was a textbook on military affairs. But over time, people have discovered that the techniques described in the book are useful in times of peace, and the recommendations to “know yourself” and “know your enemy” help to achieve success in a variety of situations.
The book contains 13 chapters describing various aspects of military affairs, and sports coaches, lawyers and entire corporations use the valuable advice of the ancient commander today.
9. Philosophy: Robert Pirsig, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”
This book helps you understand and use philosophical concepts in real life. It tells the story of a father and son who travel through the American northwest on a motorcycle.
There's a ton of timeless advice here to help you live a more fulfilling and happy life.
10. Art: William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
The plot of this play revolves around two young lovers whose families are at odds with each other. The story of forbidden love has become a vital part of world culture.
11. Technology: Walter Isaacson, "Steve Jobs"
This fascinating biography is based on years of work, personal interviews with Steve Jobs and more than a hundred of his acquaintances: family members, friends and colleagues.
The book, written by Isaacson at Jobs's request, explains why the Apple co-founder had such a simultaneously magnetic and intimidating nature, and tells the story of how Apple and Pixar were built and how they became the huge companies we know today.
This is a look at the technical industry from the inside, and a source of inspiration that can help you rethink a lot, and a fascinating story about the life of an interesting person.
12. Psychology: David McRaney, "You're Not That Smart"
This book shows that, without realizing it, we are always under the influence of certain psychological attitudes, and it is impossible to get rid of this influence, no matter how hard you try.
His investment philosophy teaches you to make informed decisions that can bring significant profits in the long term.
The author of this wonderful (so relevant in our “clip” time) materialIosif Sergeevich Zavalishin (1912–1982) - hydraulic engineer, chief specialist of the Hydroproject Institute named after. V.Ya.Zhuk, who took part in, perhaps, all the largest post-war construction mega-projects of hydroelectric power stations. Veteran of the Great Patriotic War, with a combat route of Moscow - Stalingrad - Kharkov - Kyiv - Bucharest - Budapest - Prague - Berlin.
Joseph Sergeevich, a descendant of the People's Will member Fyodor Ivanovich Zavalishin, is the clearest example of a genuine Soviet Russian intellectual, a highly educated professional practitioner, but also an idealist, an educator, an amazingly humanitarian person with a deeply caring civil attitude towards the Fatherland. The sublime in social, industrial and family life.
Speaking about Joseph Sergeevich, it is impossible not to mention his faithful companion, like-minded person and comrade-in-arms - Eleonora Samsonovna Kuznetsova, associate professor of the department of pedagogy at Moscow State Pedagogical Institute named after V.I. Lenin,lecturer at the Knowledge Society, author of many scientific works on the theory of education,inspirer and organizer of the All-Union movement of student pedagogical teams, witha passionate follower and promoter of pedagogical ideas A.S. Makarenko, head of the Makarenko section of the Pedagogical Society of the RSFSR. On her initiative, the A.S. Makarenko Museum was created.
In the Zavalishins’ apartment, under the leadership of Eleonora Samsonovna Kuznetsova, a unique pedagogical seminar functioned (the famous “Makarenkov Wednesdays”), in which Joseph Sergeevich was a permanent participant and generator of ideas. Over decades (!) of weekly work, the seminar has become a true center of living pedagogical research, the most important phenomenondomesticculture.
This is the circle of life, the soul of the high impulses of the family of Joseph Sergeevich Zavalishin, outlining his spiritual appearance and aspirations. According to the will of Joseph Sergeevich, his relatives and associates published his works:
I.S. Zavalishin. Life. Ideas. Projects. Volume 1. Reflections on humanitarian topics. pp. 48–73. 2nd edition supplemented in 2 volumes. Volume 2. Cities of the future. Lectures. From close circles. Compilation, editing, comments Belyakov E.A., Zavyalova N.I., M., 2017.
We present the current work from this collection, and also, with the kind permission of the author-compilers, we post the entire book for downloading and reading.
Photo: military photo by I.S. Zavalishin.
ADULT EDUCATION
There used to be an opinion, and it is still alive today, that it is enough to build tens of thousands of schools, thousands of universities, and the problem of educating the people will be solved. It turns out that this is not true at all. The question is much more multifaceted.
In class conditions, when only the upper strata received education, the so-called “society” was very small. The role of cultural centers was played by estates, and at the beginning of the 19th century. the entire educated society was housed in the Assembly of the Nobility (Hall of Columns in Moscow).
Personal contacts were ensured, opinions were exchanged, and intellectual connections were established. Something similar happened in St. Petersburg at that time. At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. The role of cultural centers was played by the estates of patrons of the arts and artists (Abramtsevo, Polenovo, Talashkino, Voloshin's dacha in Koktebel). What kind of hall is needed for modern Soviet society?! After all, if it is technically possible to create a hall for, say, a million people, will such a gigantic hall provide psychologically accessible and necessary communication for a person?
How to be? Let's think about it. After all, it is society that ultimately educates and educates. Great people, and not only great people, but also the most ordinary ones, receive their final education (and it is immeasurably more than what they receive in schools and universities) precisely in society. Pushkin received his true education not only in the lyceum, but in society, in the world. We sometimes take Lermontov’s lines, for example, too literally and unambiguously: “Why did he enter this envious and stuffy world...” In a certain sense, A.S. Pushkin really suffered in the most fatal way, from the “light”, but we must not forget that light is not only Dantes, but also Pushkin’s friends, and without this communication, without society, Pushkin was not would be Pushkin. Goethe has great words: “After all, in essence, we are all collective beings, no matter what we imagine about ourselves... We must borrow and learn both from those who lived before us and from those who live with us. Even the greatest genius would not go far if he wanted to produce everything from himself. But many good people don’t understand this and spend half their lives wandering around in the dark, dreaming of originality.”.
Ideas are always born in society, live in it and develop, and are not at all born together with people, as they naively thought before, as Maeterlinck thought in his beautiful fairy tale about the Blue Bird. Glinka said correctly: “The people write the music, and we, composers, only arrange it”.
One day an acquaintance came to Blok and asked: “Well, what did you write today?”, - to which Blok replied: “I have never composed, I do not compose and I will not compose”. Where did Blok get his wonderful thoughts? - In society. Therefore, along with education provided through schools and higher education institutions, a number of additional activities are needed. How can society recreate the effect of education if there are so many people who have received education and society has become so cumbersome? We will talk about this in the topic covering problem No. 3 - adult education. Looking ahead, let's say that this problem is completely solvable. We just need to skillfully use the power of modern technology and the advantages of our Soviet society. The West cannot handle this issue. This problem has a small subtopic: about the methods of self-education and self-education.
ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY OF SELF-EDUCATION (HOW TO BECOME AN EDUCATED PERSON)
We often hear that some people have outstanding abilities, phenomenal memory, the ability to quickly grasp and, because of this, know a lot in different areas of science, culture, and life. Of course, abilities are of great importance, but they are not the only thing. You can be very capable and talented, you can study at school, institute, university, graduate school, but remain a poorly educated person. You can, relying on a good memory, learn and remember a lot, but still not fit the name of a cultured, erudite, highly educated person. “Knowing too much does not make you smarter”. (Heraclitus)
What's the matter? Aren't these statements paradoxical? We will try to answer the questions arising from the title of the article.
I. MANDATORY SOLUTION OF COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT ISSUES ARISING
Life is diverse, people are diverse, circumstances are diverse. There are no two completely identical people, no two identical circumstances. Every person, no matter who he is, conceals something individual and unique within himself. When developing some principles for yourself, most of all you need to be afraid of template solutions and ready-made recipes, because the template does not take into account either the individual characteristics of a person or the features of the situation. Living with stereotyped ideas, a person will sooner or later encounter acute contradictions with reality, which will prevent him from correctly understanding the surrounding circumstances and will inevitably create a false idea of the world. It is impossible to become an educated person with false ideas. “Rust eats iron, lies eats the soul”. (M. Gorky)
A person always, or at least very often, faces complex and intractable questions, and this can be approached in different ways. You can be like Dostoevsky’s Raskolnikov and have great difficulty finding the meaning and understanding the essence of the mistake made. You can do what Balzac did: when his hero found himself in a difficult financial situation, then, according to biographers, Balzac locked himself in a room, did not go out for three days and had difficulty figuring out how to help his hero. You can act like Nekhlyudov in Tolstoy’s “Resurrection,” in the episode that marked the beginning of the tragedy of Katyusha Maslova. In the depths of his soul, Nekhlyudov felt that this was not good, bad, even very bad, that there could be serious consequences for Katyusha herself, but he did not think, but uttered a trivial phrase to himself: “Well, everyone does it that way.”, - and calmed down for a long time. Several such conclusions in difficult life circumstances, as Nekhlyudov made, and a person will lose the ability to worry, to find the right solutions, will become indifferent, will be lost for science, for real creative work, for the concept of a “highly educated person.”
Every question that life poses, no matter how complicated it is, no matter how long it takes to resolve, no matter how difficult its solution, must be resolved to the end. Resolved by the person facing this issue, maybe not independently, but with the help of his comrades, but definitely resolved. This is the first and indispensable rule. When questions arise in front of a person, he feels an urgent need to answer them, then sooner or later he will find the answers. There will always be order in the head and soul of such a person. There will be order in business. It is impossible, given the current level of science and human knowledge, to do anything in an environment of disorder and uncertainty. Long before our days, this was anticipated by Rene Descartes - his wonderful saying “order frees thoughts” is absolutely true and has been tested by life millions of times. How can one be an educated person and have an unliberated, fettered thought? So: the obligatory solution of all vital issues, the comprehension of “physical meaning” (Suvorov: "Comprehending and vigilance are above all"). Always find the meaning in everything, get to the bottom of the truth, understand what’s what. Everything must lie in a certain system. Order in thoughts, feelings, in all matters. “You put it further away, you take it closer”. (Russian proverb).
II. DO NOT CONFUSE YOURSELF ONLY IN YOUR AREA OF ACTIVITY. STUDY AND COMPREHENSIVE ART
Never be confined to one thing, never be only "left nostril specialist". (L.N. Tolstoy). A narrow specialist and narrow professional cannot even know his own field well. This was perfectly formulated two hundred years ago by J. J. Rousseau: “When you study science, you become more and more convinced of how different sciences support and help each other. Of course, the human brain is not able to master all sciences. But if you don’t have some idea about other sciences, then you are in complete darkness in your own.”.
Where to begin? - From art. This is the easiest and most necessary. Art is always necessary for everyone. In different eras, different types of art excel. Nowadays theater and cinema, music, literature, architecture and painting are of greatest importance. You have to live in art. See all more or less interesting productions and films. Know public opinion and critical opinion, even if it is incorrect. To have your own opinion, even if it is strange and different from what is said or written, it is important that it is not far-fetched and empty and original for the sake of originality, but that it comes from the heart and excites you and your comrades with whom you are discussing this issue. Try to have as many such conversations as possible, don’t be afraid to say unnecessary, risky, even paradoxical things. After conversations with friends, what is risky will turn out to be reliable, paradoxes will cease to be paradoxes, and excess will be appropriate.
Just as chess cannot be mastered without some knowledge of theory, so art in any of its forms cannot be understood without some, at least a little knowledge of theory. You should definitely read books on art - biographies of great artists, monographs of individual artists, see and have many reproductions, at least in the form of postcards. Read musicological studies, and when listening to music, strain your imagination as much as possible in order to understand and see what the composer saw when he wrote the music.
If we discard complex questions and formulate them very roughly, it will turn out like this: a cultured person should know at least a little art. What is a little? These are, of course, not the names of famous actors and a few standard phrases: “I don’t care,” or: “it’s very fresh, juicy, etc.”
III. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS, BUT GO TO MEET THEM
There will be a hydroelectric power station here
If a person is inquisitive, searches, thinks, has his own views and judgments, is this enough? - No. The hero described by Dostoevsky in White Nights is something like this, and Dostoevsky makes it clear: this is good, but not enough. He is cute, arouses sympathy, you can love him, but you should not fall in love. You have to fall in love with someone else. What kind of “other” he is, Dostoevsky does not know exactly and therefore draws him schematically, but this “other” does not look like the hero of the story “White Nights”, this is indisputable.
What is needed besides research, reflection and knowledge of art? We need harmonious development. If a person lives only with his head, it is very one-sided. Great physical effort is required. Sport. Tourism. Dangers. Overcoming great physical difficulties. Overcoming fear. Courage. Finally, you need endless love for nature and knowledge of it. How perfectly Lermontov knew this! His hero (Pechorin) is mysterious, like everything mysterious - incomprehensible, but the love for danger and boundless love for the nature of Lermontov's hero do not raise any doubts.
There are many more recent examples:
“The House Where Hearts Break” by Bernard Shaw, Thor Heyerdahl's journey on the Kon-Tiki, a walking expedition to the North Pole, the feat of Hans Has, who calmly filmed sharks with an underwater film camera, research and filming of volcanoes and much more. In real life, even if it is bright, interesting and productive, there is always a lot of risk and danger. You need a lot of hardening and the ability to overcome difficulties, the ability, figuratively speaking, to plunge into cold, troubled waters without hesitation. There is no better way to develop these qualities than to engage in sports, tourism, live in nature and know it well.
The father is right who teaches his son the art of swimming in the sea in stormy weather, when the surf noisily hits the shore. In this, of course, there is a certain amount of risk - well, nothing happens without risk, but he will instill in his son the right character for the rest of his life. Skillful, calm overcoming of real dangers with real risks - what could be better for proper education!
There are wonderful literary examples that perfectly prepare a person for the romance of struggle, courage, and overcoming feelings of fear. This is, first of all, Lermontov’s “Mtsyri”.
George Sand’s fairy tale “Wings of Courage” is also wonderful (about how fishermen forgot a boy on a rocky island at night, the wind rose, and waves began to roll over this island). These and many similar works need to be known from childhood. It’s good to know by heart the verses from the Scandinavian epic “Fritjof” from the age of ten or twelve:
“No overnight stays in houses, no tents on ships.
Sleep on your military shield, damask sword in your hand,
And the tent is a blue sky.
When the thunderstorm comes, hoist the sails,
Let it thunder, let it roar, coward, whoever sets the sail.
Rather than be a coward, die sooner.".
The unity of ideas, thoughts, actions, a sense of responsibility, the impossibility of any empty paper proposals is best cultivated through communication with nature, in overcoming difficulties and danger. This unity develops into unity of character - a combination of deep intelligence, knowledge with courage and daring. Russian literature has always dreamed of such a hero, but literature could not create him, did not have time, because such characters appeared only on the crest of the wave of the revolution. Dostoevsky dreamed that Myshkin and Rogozhin were one person, but he did not know how to do this - literature does not create life, people create it, literature only reflects this creativity, sometimes at its earliest, barely noticeable phases...
To formulate an idea when it is just emerging is a great thing - supporters and successors are found, talented people are found who will move forward, develop the idea, test it in practice and put it into action.
IV. KNOWLEDGE. ACQUISITION OF THEM GRADUALLY
At the Kyiv hydroelectric power station, 1966
Knowledge is of great importance. Although the great French scientist Michel Montaigne said that “You must have a well-filled, but well-arranged head”, - and this is absolutely true, - you still need to have a large amount of knowledge.
Finding a good way to accumulate knowledge means having a lot of it. Probably at least half of the time is spent on replenishing the stock of knowledge and, if you do not have a good way of acquiring knowledge, there will be too little of it. It is difficult to talk about numbers, even more difficult to verify them - but sometimes you hear this distribution: knowledge acquired at school, institute, graduate school - ten percent, personal experience - two to four percent, the rest is divided equally between literature and conversations with friends, with people practical life. What is the method for obtaining the majority - eighty-six percent of knowledge? It can be called in one word - gradually.
It's good to have your own large library. It is not at all necessary to read all the books that are there; it is important to know where the book is and what it talks about. A question has arisen. You heard something. Something interests you. They took the appropriate book, read a few pages, and sometimes the entire book - and in the wake of interest, the answer of the books was remembered simply, quickly and in the vast majority of cases for life.
Something is bothering you. You don’t know how and what to do - you asked a friend, did everything according to his recommendation, and what you learned in this way, you will know well and forever. If the answer to your question is not contained in any of your books, go to the appropriate library, first look at the encyclopedia - this is the key to most knowledge and, of course, everyone should have it. The encyclopedia always has a bibliographic index - use it, look for the books you need, read them if you are interested, talk with knowledgeable people. “An evening of conversation with a worthy person is more than ten years of reading books”, says Eastern wisdom. In other words, live in such a way that you are always interested in something, gradually seek answers from friends and books - this is the surest way to gain a lot of knowledge.
Traveling gradually is of great importance for education. In addition to traveling in the literal sense - a vacation trip to new places, a new country or on a special route, a trip on a business trip - also use another, more powerful way - do not sit too long in one job, do not sit too long in one city. Don’t be Old-Timer Hinikat (the hero of the story “At Our Home”...). What is “not too long” - four, five years, no more, in one place. Only after many years of activity, if you manage to tightly settle a big problem that will be infinitely interesting and useful to people, can you spend more time in one place and in one city - if, of course, the problem can be solved without leaving that city. The given figures, of course, are not the law - in individual cases they may change, but for most cases of modern life, they are, in all likelihood, close to optimal.
If you spend too long on the same issue, you can become a very narrow specialist. As noted above, specialization is necessary, but too narrow a specialization is contrary to modern life, modern technology, and modern science.
V. STUDYING POLITICS. CONSTANT AND DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF IT
Interest in political life and knowledge of it. Modern life is full of politics. In no historical era has politics played such a role, touched the fate of every person so closely, or influenced his mood and well-being so much as it does now.
There is a famous note from Beethoven to his friend: “... I couldn’t come on Thursday because there was military action. I'll come on Saturday..." It is clear that military actions did not bother the great composer much. These times are irrevocably gone. Problems of construction, individual industries, issues of various movements in art - all this is politics.
The unexpectedness and abruptness of politics seems incredible and impossible to people with little knowledge - everything incomprehensible prevents them from correctly navigating. With the modern development of radio, cinema, the abundance of illustrated magazines, exhibitions, festivals, sports competitions, mass foreign tourism - each person receives diametrically opposite information from the same events. If you don’t know politics well enough, your mind becomes completely confused and confused. How deeply this confusion affects a person is evident from such striking examples as the suicide of Stefan Zweig and the alleged suicide of Hemingway. The situation is complicated by the fact that not everything can be published; many things are written about schematically, conditionally, and not to the fullest extent. Nothing requires such a deep and comprehensive knowledge of theory as politics. Dialectics, philosophy, the works of the classics - without this it is never possible to comprehend the essence of what is happening and the immediate prospects. One must have a taste for these things, and not look at social sciences and philosophy as something purely academic and bookish. Many sciences used to be bookish, divorced from life, and purely theoretical.
Atom, electrons, protons, etc. - interesting, amusing, incomprehensible... Who would have thought that Hiroshima would be born from this... The same thing happened before with electricity. In old physics courses, the presentation of electricity began like this: “Take amber, rub it - pieces of paper will stick to it”. Next came a presentation of electrostatics, Galvani's experiments, Ohm's laws, Kirchhoff's laws, the rule of the left and right hands, etc. It was all bookish, theoretical, uninteresting and seemed completely divorced from life. But from this were born electrical engineering and electronics, which permeate all modern life and which cannot be understood and developed without understanding all the seemingly ancient and lifeless theories.
What has been said about politics can be formulated more briefly: to be a son of your century and a passionate patriot of your Motherland, not to shy away from current problems and to know them, to live in them, to root for them, to understand them well. Then you will have in your hands the key to understanding life and to the heart of the vast majority of people, to their understanding of life, and people, in turn, will teach you a lot - what you cannot read in any books, newspapers, magazines.
VI. MANDATORY PARTICIPATION IN EVENTS
Let us assume that you have acquired a significant understanding of modern politics, are well versed in many issues, and care about current issues. is that enough? - No, not enough. “Everyone fancies himself a strategist, seeing the battle from the outside,” said the great Georgian poet Rustaveli. “Fancies himself as a strategist”... To “think” anything in today’s life is unacceptable. Modern life is based on technology. The vast majority of people - workers, technicians, engineers - live by technology. One worker who worked on a large Siberian construction site expressed a remarkable thought: “Modern technology does not like and does not forgive mistakes. Make a mistake once, and she will punish you three times.”. How can you “remember”? One must not “think”, but be.
Although in a very small area, it must be there.
True characters are forged only in the midst of current events. It is much more likely to meet interesting people where it is difficult, where it is dangerous, where the fate of a business is being decided. Meeting such people means learning a lot from them. Being a participant in events means finding a common language with interesting people and learning even more. Not only to learn, but also to gain your own experience and improve your own character, which is also very important.
One might ask why Frederic Chopin, living almost his entire life in France, wrote such magnificent music? The point is that writers, poets and people of art cannot be identified with people of practical life. In addition, the life of society occurs in periods. During certain periods, knowledge and experience are accumulated, and the most complex issues are gradually resolved - this is a hidden, invisible process. The moment of greatest concentration of formulations, conclusions, opinions, theories comes. A writer, artist or poet, having a sensitive soul, hears and feels these formulations and conclusions and transfers them to canvas or paper and embodies them in the sounds of music. And in the 19th century there was, as it were, an explosion - a powerful galaxy of writers and poets appeared, who were able to transfer the ideas accumulated over one and a half to two centuries to paper and make clear to many what was previously implicit and unknown.
Art, perhaps more than anything else, is the fruit of collective creativity. Everything that is written on humanitarian topics is true only under certain conditions and at a certain time. Life is built continuously and does not stop. The seventies of our century are far from the situation that was in the 19th century - there is still a hidden process of searches, formulations, new truths, a new way of life and thinking. The leap comes later. That’s why there are fewer writers and poets today than there were in the 19th century.
This article is not addressed to writers, but to practitioners who want to be educated people. They cannot wait until new Herzens and Turgenevs appear, but must get into all the cracks, be in the most difficult places, at work related to solving the most pressing problems, at the most pressing construction sites, participate in events - not as an observer, but as a direct participant and don't be afraid of anything. If there was a war of 1941-1945, then you had to be there. If the fate of the country was decided at the post-war construction sites in Siberia, it was necessary to be there too, etc.
VII. THE BASIC METHOD OF CREATIVE WORK IS ACHIEVEMENT OF UNITY OF MIND AND FEELING
Modern life poses complex, intractable problems of both public and personal nature. The same problems often arise at work and in practice. At the beginning of the article, we wrote that you cannot leave the issues that concern you unresolved, you cannot put them off, or, even worse, get used to living with unresolved issues and simply do what everyone else is doing - the rational thread is lost and life becomes uninteresting. Many questions can be solved through logical reasoning, but as life, technology and science become more complex, there are fewer and fewer easily solved questions.
How to be?
Once upon a time, in ancient times, mathematicians faced the same question - arithmetic problems became more and more difficult. It became impossible to solve them with logical reasoning. As a result, algebra was invented, which greatly simplified the solution of complex problems and solved many arithmetic problems that seemed unsolvable. Of course, art cannot be called the algebra of human thought, but art (music, painting, theater, etc.), its methods and techniques can greatly facilitate the solution of complex problems and solve many insoluble problems. There are, as it were, two systems operating in the human consciousness - the logical system of the mind and the system of feelings, moods and intuition. Previously, it was believed that moods and feelings were not directly related to serious matters, or, moreover, it was believed that this was something harmful, a hindrance. “Give your heart free rein - it will lead you into captivity”- this formula is false. In literature and art, the problem of combating passions has been discussed for a long time: it was believed that there is some kind of established order of life that must be guided, and that human feelings, moods, passions interfere, lead astray - this is also not true. Even Gogol, though from a slightly different perspective, still talks about this problem ( “there are passions and passions”). The struggle between two principles in man is a very ancient problem, going back to the ancient ideas about Apollo and Dionysus.
In Russian literature of the 19th century and the beginning of ours, a lot of attention is paid to the problem of reason and feeling. “With my mind I understand that this is not good, but my feeling tells me something else...”, or: “from the point of view of the mind, everything seems to be good, but some hidden feeling is depressing me, which I cannot explain and determine what it is”. “In my mind I understand that this person is good, but my heart says something else” etc. So what's the matter? Should there be this duality all the time?
In practice, such issues are resolved quite simply. There are strong-willed principles in a person or strong-willed people - a “volitional” decision is made, and all duality disappears. Two arguments can be given against this method of resolving the issue.
There is an excellent argument by G. Heine. He says that we usually respect strong-willed, consistent people and forgive them a lot. But, if you look closely, these people often turn out to be “slaves to their outdated thoughts.” Another argument suggests itself - in modern life and, in particular, in technology it is quite well known that “volitional” decisions in the overwhelming majority of cases are very doubtful. The “strong-willed” method is not suitable. Numerous examples in literature and life confirm this idea. It is impossible to solve the question raised separately from life and the situation. Obviously, if there are significant contradictions in life, then there cannot be internal harmony.
Why did the Decembrists undertake a grandiose, complex and almost hopeless struggle, a colossal, almost one hundred percent risk, although it would seem that they personally had everything - beloved wives, wonderful families, a prosperous life...
But let’s imagine that great changes have taken place in social life, many of the contradictions that have tormented people for centuries have been eliminated and people, of course, have not solved all the problems, but feel that they are on the right road - what then? Will harmony of feelings and thoughts come on its own? Apparently not. Is there a technique that would ensure this harmony? First of all, we must turn to art. Art is an area of human activity in which no volitional decisions are possible. If voluntarism were introduced into art, it would cease to be art. But art poses, leads to solutions and often solves questions of enormous importance, and does it simply, quickly, well and reliably. Contemporary art is a school of life. Gorky, Dostoevsky, Beethoven, Balzac, Tolstoy, Surikov... Is there at least one question of life that was not correctly posed by them, well, comprehensively covered and in many cases resolved? Sometimes only a hint of a solution is given, but this is also extremely important...
The fact is that long before man learned to think, he knew how to feel, had moods, emotions, etc. Reason and thinking appeared much later and, because of this, are in many ways less perfect. Intuitively, you will solve any question in one and a half to two seconds. In order to solve this issue using the method of logical thinking, it will take, perhaps, several hours, and perhaps months. The solution in the latter case will be accurate, correct, in a huge number of cases absolutely correct, but very slow.
Modern life raises very complex questions that cannot be resolved by any direct logical reasoning. Without Euclid, modern science is impossible, but the times of Euclid are gone forever. The iron logic of the proof of Euclid's geometric theorems, which are still studied by schoolchildren all over the world, apparently corresponded well to the level, or rather, the volume of problems that existed at that time. But try to solve any modern issue with pure logic - you will come across a palisade of difficulties. There will be many times more unknowns than equations, or there will be hundreds of equations and unknowns. In the small number of cases where your problem can be encoded in mathematical form, modern programming and electronic machines will come to your aid, but the number of problems that can be encoded in mathematical form is a very small part of the problems. The vast majority of modern problems are solved hundreds and thousands of times on electronic computers until the results begin to converge. Something similar happens in the human brain. Intuitively, you check and outline dozens of decisions - most of them are subconscious. If the options of your random arbitrary decisions begin to approach the truth, you have one mood, if they diverge, another. It is difficult to describe this process, but it is easy to understand by learning and studying real, great music, great art.
By carefully studying the examples of works of art, how thousands of random, intuitive decisions begin to move towards some goal, encounter obstacles on their way, sometimes overcome them with great difficulty, you feel some kind of commonality of doubts, difficulties, failures, charms and disappointments, that the author had, with the same feelings that you had when solving some complex issue, during some complex and difficult struggle.
At the beginning of your activity, it often seems to you, when studying some question for a practical purpose, that “the further into the forest, the more firewood,” and that both struggle and study seem hopeless... But you listen and study the real music, real art and you understand that you are at the beginning of your journey, that simply, as often happens, you underestimated the upcoming difficulties of work, that the author whose works you read, listen to or watch had the same doubts, the same cooling, such seeming hopelessness, but some vague, barely noticeable feelings became a guiding star for the author, he believed them and took the captivatingly clear path of a correct, joyful solution to the issue... Have you noticed the same vague unclear feelings in your soul at the moment of struggle, doubt, quests, failures, disappointments and you yourself did not attach any importance to them, you passed by without seeing how the author followed the right mood and feeling, and you follow your feeling and go out into the shining expanses of victory, decision, achievement. This is the method of unity of feeling and reason, a method that art widely uses. Mastering this method is difficult, but necessary. To do this you need to know and understand art well.
The strength of the presented method lies in the fact that art, much earlier than science and technology, entered the field of complex issues that can only be resolved by the method of unifying feelings and reason, by the method of intuitive assessment of a huge number of options, choosing from them a strictly limited number of the most probable and logical development of only these few options.
Otherwise, such phenomena of thought as the feat of the engineer Belilyubsky, who personally designed almost all the bridges on the Trans-Siberian Railway, would not be explainable. It would be impossible to explain the phenomenon of Chekhov, who combined in himself the greatest thinker and writer.
Without mastering the method of unity of feeling and reason, it is impossible to carry out real creative work, it is impossible to independently solve complex modern issues. Without the ability to independently solve complex issues, it is impossible to understand what is happening, it is impossible to experience truly modern life, it is impossible to restore order in your soul, to free your thoughts for comprehension and knowledge.
VIII. “FROM ANCIENT WONDERFUL STONES, MAKE THE STEPS OF THE COMING” (N.K.ROERICH)
We live in performances. The idea of morality, the idea of honor, duty. Ideas about responsibilities, about good and evil, about love, fidelity, about life rules, about laws, about the state, etc. Representations help us navigate complex issues, make the right decision, and save time. But 20–30 years pass and ideas change - sometimes a lot, sometimes a little.
It is important to be armed with modern ideas. Ideas almost always lag behind life, and even more so as life changes faster. The more active and active the era is, the faster, the more dangerous it is to use outdated ideas. There can be a lot of confusion in the subjects you study and the things you do. How to formulate the correct ideas? Where can I get them? Much has already been said: interesting work, penetration into the depths of events, active participation in them - this is necessary, but not enough. You need to know a lot, and know it from life, from primary sources. You need to have a solid “measurement basis” both in time and space, you need to know what other peoples think (and thought) on the issue that interests you in other times, what your people thought on this issue several centuries ago. Then temporary opportunistic, random strata will disappear and correct ideas will appear. The situation is made easier by the fact that history to some extent repeats itself, develops in a spiral, and you can always find that turn of the spiral, the study of which (or at least getting acquainted with some facts of life and works of art characteristic of this turn) will be fruitful. It may seem that such study is available only to specialists, but this is not so.
Anyone who has genuine knowledge of art, the laws of its development, its history, for whom the most complex and great truths become accessible and understandable, will draw from ancient sources a lot of fresh, relevant, essential things that are essential today and will be able to transfer from neighboring, seemingly distant regions in their area is something that will allow you to create new ideas, as the great Russian artist N.K. Roerich said: “Make the steps of the future from wonderful ancient stones”.
To what extent these words are true, we are convinced by the example of early and modern constructivism. The constructivism of the 1920s and 1930s was feeble, pale and ultimately a failure. Only a very few outstanding, perhaps brilliant, personalities managed to achieve good results following the path of early constructivism. This is, first of all, Mayakovsky himself. The formula of early constructivism: “We’ll drive the nag of history…”(V. Mayakovsky) and “I will write a tragedy that will make Shakespeare’s tragedy look like a farce or a pathetic vaudeville.”(aka). Now the absurdity of these formulas is obvious.
In 1930 in Moscow, in the museum named after. A.S. Pushkin (then called the Museum of Fine Arts) an exhibition of ancient masters of art was organized, the “Madonna Lita” of the Leonardo school, magnificent paintings by Van Dyck, Titian and Rubens were brought from Leningrad - everyone gasped and realized that creating works, in front of which Shakespeare’s tragedies will look “like a farce or a pathetic vaudeville” is impossible, unnecessary and, most importantly, clearly meaningless. Supporters of early constructivism took the success of the exhibition very hard and clearly felt that people were not following them. Years passed, and a new constructivism appeared, this time in art. Outwardly it is similar to old constructivism, but its content follows Roerich’s formula. Just like early constructivism, modern constructivism argues that art should change form in accordance with the change in shape of things that surround a person every day.
But if in the early 30s, relying on the formula “let’s drive the nag of history,” ancient architectural monuments were recklessly destroyed, now they are being restored. Our interest is great in the Andronevsky Monastery, Kizhi, Suzdal, in the works of Andrei Rublev and Rostov-Yaroslavl with its bell ringing, in the ancient wooden architecture of the North. Our ideas about these monuments have changed.
What do you need to know from previous eras? First of all, its history and its ancient art. Recently it has been well popularized; many good and understandable monographs and a number of good films have appeared. You need to familiarize yourself with these materials, understand them and comprehend them. It’s even better, after studying literary sources, to travel to places where ancient monuments have been preserved.
The study of our own history always amazes us with the enormity of the tasks that have faced our country for many hundreds of years, and amazes us with the skill, talent and genius of the people, who brilliantly emerged victorious from the most difficult situations, often created by their own great aspirations.
Let's look at the construction of the Moscow Kremlin, moving along the opposite bank of the river from the Stone Bridge to Moskvoretsky. You will immediately remember the wonderful words Mendeleev said about science and are practically close to art: “How free, free and joyful life is in science.” The towers seem to be turning all the time - so as to be more beautiful and pleasing to the human eye. The impression of spaciousness is enhanced by the varied scale of St. Basil's towers, perfectly integrated into the architecture of the Kremlin walls. Different eras, different styles, but how everything is fused into a single, stunningly integral ensemble, how obvious is the idea of a triumphant, free mind. How pleasant it is to indulge in meditation in sight of the magnificent buildings of the Kremlin - it seems that many people, wise by experience, with radiantly clear thoughts, free judgments and opinions, understand and support you, encourage you!
The Moscow Kremlin is a reflection of the interesting and unique Russian culture: it has absorbed both the East and the West and, most of all, has created its own uniquely beautiful culture. The work is masterful, first-class - no seams are visible. In fact, the Italians built the wall along the markings of the battlements, and the tents above the towers, many years later, were built by the Russians, in the Russian style! Who can guess this without knowing the documents? One of the Kremlin towers - Borovitskaya - is the sister of the eastern tower - the Syuyumbike tower in Kazan - where is the junction, where are the contradictions? They are not visible - again the iron solidity of the ensemble.
The central structure, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, was built by an Italian, and the outer structures, the Godunov Tower and the Filaretov Extension, were built by the Russians. Again the joints are not visible, again the steely logic of unity.
The fantastic, fabulous firebird - St. Basil's Cathedral - harmonizes wonderfully with the Gothic architecture of the Spasskaya Tower and with all the unique buildings of the Kremlin! - this is Russian culture. A wonderful fusion of the great cultures of the world and, like any fusion, it has new, previously unknown qualities... Of course, it is difficult to immediately understand the great music of the Kremlin. There is a lot to see, a lot to read, a lot to think about.
The East had a huge influence on Russian culture. No one knows the East as well as our country. There are many reasons. Firstly, we live within state borders together with eastern peoples - we directly draw from their experience, culture, and wisdom. We are also connected with the East historically. The best minds of Russia were drawn to the East: Griboyedov, Lermontov, Pushkin, Tolstoy, Przhevalsky, Kozlov. What drew them there? - awareness of the enormous importance of understanding Eastern culture for Russia. Music by Borodin, Mussorgsky, Rubinstein, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka. Where, which people in the world revealed the East so clearly, clearly and magnificently? During the Soviet period in the history of our homeland, this trend intensified even more. The East was understood even better and brought closer to millions. The works of the remarkable Soviet scientists S.F. Oldenburg and Bertels contributed enormously. The peoples of the Soviet East themselves took great steps after the revolution and helped to truly understand and appreciate the East. Not surprising. After all, the great sages of the world lived on the territory of the Soviet East: there lived the great Mohamed Al-Khorezmi - the true inventor of algebra, the first person who, 800 years ago, correctly understood that in Archimedes' joke lies the tremendous power of an explosion - the power of the revolution of science.
Saadi from Shiraz, Nizami, Alisher Navoi, Ferdowsi - who knew them before the revolution? - only narrow specialists. Now the classics of the East are published in large quantities here. “Gulistan”, “Tales of a Parrot”, “Ramayana”, “Shah Nameh” are now available to millions.
What is the value of Eastern culture for us? The East took the path of creating powerful centralized states much earlier; it knows what problems centralization raises, knows how they are solved, and knows what a huge impact state problems can have on private life. Whatever the parable of the great Saadi, it is wonderful advice for a modern person. The advice is wise, calm, detailed, imbued with wonderful humane ideas. It’s all here: advice to a person with extensive experience, advice to a young person on how to behave properly with people... “Pearls of useful admonitions are strung on a thread of elegant reasoning, and the bitter medicine of advice is mixed with the honey of wit” (Saadi).
Secondly, (we have already talked about this), the culture of the East is organically included in Russian culture and it is difficult to understand it without understanding the East. It is impossible for an educated person not to know the culture of his country. Someone these days expressed the right thought: “The power of projects is not that they are drawn up, but that they are continuously improved,” - the same can be said about ideas and ideas.
Knowledge of the culture of your people, understanding how basic ideas are constantly being modified and continuously improved, gives enormous power of orientation in all matters, saves a lot of time, eliminates the need to solve the overwhelming and unnecessary task of inventing everything again and again and, again, helps to create new ones , in tune with the era of the performance.
The acquaintance of the remarkable Russian artist Polenov with the East had interesting consequences. The finest connoisseur and poet of Russian nature set off on a long and serious journey to the East. There he saw a different nature, different people, different colors. Returning to Russia, to the Oka River, he saw in Russian nature something he had not seen before: the subtlest, invisible nuances of natural colors. After he saw these colors on a large scale, more vibrant in the East, they began to play, made themselves felt, new, wonderful, previously inaccessible to the “naked eye” colors of Russian nature were revealed.
IX. “NOTHING HUMAN IS ALIEN TO ME”
The previous sections touched on many issues - ideas, knowledge, active participation in events, knowledge of art, history. However, this is not enough for an educated person.
We must love life in all its manifestations. Otherwise, both ideas and work on yourself will be one-sided. Everything may disappear under the pressure of life circumstances. Love, happiness, life, joy, passion, struggle, charm, disappointment, grains of experience found by oneself, comprehension - failures, anxieties - all this is characteristic of man and one cannot refuse it. The time of asceticism and self-denial is over! Modern culture, if only you know it to a minimal extent and know how to use it, allows you to do without these extremely difficult means for a person. There is no need to try to squeeze yourself into some pre-conceived scheme, there is no need to be slaves to your outdated thoughts. “Blessed is he who was young from his youth.” It is human nature to love - love. It is human nature to be happy - be happy. Do not contradict life, but know it, understand and love it. It would seem that these are obvious provisions, but how can they be practically achieved? Why love? - because work, except the most elementary, goes well when you love it, but life is not elementary.
We are far from the statement of one of Balzac’s heroes: “Life is a craft, you need to learn it”, but there are some things you need to know and follow. “An educated person does not eat from a kerosene stove, does not breathe bad air, does not cause misfortune because of a lost gum.”(A.P. Chekhov). First of all, you must organize your life well. Improving your life must begin with work. Recently, one worker, speaking at a large meeting at one of the Siberian construction sites, said: “First of all, work brings prosperity, and then earnings”. Perhaps this is not entirely accurate literary, but the meaning is deep and correct.
Choosing a job to your liking is not easy - too many factors influence the successful solution of this issue. Here there are natural inclinations, and the objective situation, and the rapid growth of the economy, when the traditional transfer of a specialty from father to son is not always possible, there are family circumstances, often a lack of experience at the moment when it is most needed, and the prospect is not always clear. Confusion in opinions, unfortunately, is firmly established in our lives. But the more complex the question, the more attention, effort, effort and talent must be put into solving it. The experience of leading people and leading teams shows that this is quite possible. Earnings and material conditions are a very important aspect of life, and it is absurd to ignore this aspect. It is impossible, of course, to reduce everything to material conditions, since any one-sidedness is ugly (the saying “A one-sided specialist is like gumboil” is well known). There are huge opportunities in our country. Just don’t cling to your favorite places. There is no need to be afraid to leave - Angara, Yenisei, Lena, Amur, Vitim, Vilyuy, Khantaika, Amguema - you can’t list everything. And leave not just for a long ruble, but for knowledge of life, leave to find yourself in the thick of things. Working on large Siberian construction sites in the North is not only a solution to material issues, it is a huge life and production experience. No disorder in personal life is tolerated (remember the above wonderful words of Rene Descartes "Order liberates thought"). How can a person become educated if his thoughts are constrained and not free? But the absence of happiness and love is also intolerable. You can achieve them, but you cannot run from them, much less postpone their decisions. It is appropriate to recall Suvorov’s statement: “The enemy is pushed back - failure, surrounded, destroyed - success”. The enemy for any person, and threefold for an educated one, is unsettledness and disorder in his personal life, lack of happiness, lack of love. Therefore, first of all, you need to think about this. Love and happiness are not the topic of this article, but I would still like to note two points.
First. Nothing happens by gravity, not even love. Nature has endowed man with everything - the ability to sing and dance, draw, love and much more. But by nature everything is given in very small quantities. Then everything depends on the person. It's the same with love. It is possible at first sight. Maybe this is even the best love, but then it must be supported, cherished, cared for like a living plant, otherwise it will wither, wither, or, conversely, with good care, it will bloom.
Second. A comprehensively developed person, an educated person, living according to the principle formulated in the great words of Marx - “Nothing human is alien to me”, both happiness and true love are more accessible.
In conclusion, I would like to say that the article does not pretend to cover the issue completely. An educated person needs to know much more. The article is just a few tips that the author considers essential. True, there is a good Indian saying - “The easiest thing is to give advice, the hardest thing is to carry it out”. However, the tips are useful. Maybe this article will also be useful.
Iosif Sergeevich Zavalishin
NOTES
Whatever the field: political, industrial or life (Note by I.S. Zavalishin).
One day I asked I.S. Zavalishin: what are the best routes to explore your country. He said the best place to start is with the Kremlin. Then - the boulevard ring. Then the “Golden Ring”, ancient Russian cities. Further, if possible, the Urals, Siberian rivers... “We need to give up everything,” said I.S. Zavalishin, “and travel along the Volga, along the Angara, to Baikal, Yenisei...” Then it was difficult to achieve. Now there are a lot of travel agencies, but they are more likely to send you to the Canaries.
I.S. Zavalishin himself was like that. It is obvious that such people never set personal enrichment as their main goal. The homespun wisdom of the new Russian philistinism, on the contrary, calls for “not to be idiots,” which “everyone rides,” and to ride yourself. Will this ideology really win? Will my growing children and grandchildren also be sucked into this quagmire of vulgarity? One day I mentioned a career to Zavalishin. He sat me down in front of him and said: “You must decide once and for all for yourself what you want: a career or meaningful big things. If it’s a career, then I can’t teach you anything. Go learn from someone else.”
It seems to me that these wishes have acquired a new meaning today. With the change in the socio-economic situation in the country, in particular in the national economy, there are no large construction projects on the periphery of Russia, cities are not being reconstructed or developed, new ones are not being built - this is not even discussed. As a result, a number of problems arose. The sharp concentration of construction in the Center, or more precisely, in Moscow, leads to its total development, which is not safe for the historical center. Many leading design institutes that worked for the country are inactive, and design work is dispersed among small firms. Unemployed specialists appeared. And this is not a complete list of problems in this area. (N.I. Zavalishin)
DOWNLOAD: I.S.ZAVALISHIN. LIFE. IDEAS. PROJECTS ( , )
Compilation, editing, comments Belyakov E.A., Zavyalova N.I., 2017.
The authors are releasing this book into the public domain. We remind you that works that have entered the public domain can be freely used by anyone without payment of royalties. In this case, moral copyright rights must be respected: the right of authorship, the right to a name and the right to protect the author’s reputation.
Read. You are primarily interested in reading. Maybe you are not a fan of reading big novels - they seem too big, too heavy to you. Why not try reading magazines or comic books first? Or choose a book with stories - read a little and also absorb what you read little by little. But the most important thing you can do is dedicate time to reading, at least a little, every day.
Move on to more difficult tasks. After a month or two of reading individual passages, try to move on to more serious challenges. For example, choose a modern classic like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (the title may be slightly different depending on the translation) or choose one of Lemony Snicket's books. They are not only intended for children - these books are read and loved by millions of people. If you have tried reading, but still find it difficult to get used to such large volumes of books, try reading Reader's Digest - it offers abridged versions of regular books, as well as recent articles from various magazines.
Find a book club. Once you start reading, you will want to discuss what you read. Many people sign up or start a book club. It's easy - call your brother or sister and a couple of friends. Meet them for coffee and agree on what book you will all be reading. Meet again in a month and hopefully everyone will have time to read the book so you can discuss it. Talk about the topics you discovered with this book, share with your friends how it made you feel, or the funny moments you remember. In addition, a book club will help you not to give up reading - you know that you will be discussing the book in a couple of days, so you have a goal - you are obliged to read it to the end.
Set personal reading goals. Many very well-read people engage in so-called “parallel reading” - they read several books at the same time. Maybe you will have one book by your bed that you will read a little before going to bed. Maybe you will have a book in the bathroom that you will also read periodically, or another one in the office, etc. Even if you don't want that kind of confusion, you can still set goals for yourself, like "I want to read the classics next year" or "This year I'll read all of Shakespeare's comedies, and next year maybe I'll read the tragedies." Even if you don't completely achieve your goal, you will still have time to read something from the list. Try to set yourself time limits for your reading goals.
Choose well-known books. If you like reading unusual things, great. But if you want to become a well-read person in the conventional sense, you should choose books that others have heard of. Ask a librarian to help you. There are two benefits to reading famous books: first, you will understand common book references from other people, and second, you will become educated in ways you never thought about. For example, many have heard of the book “To Kill a Mockingbird.” At a party, one of your acquaintances expressed dissatisfaction with racial intolerance. While none of your friends are racist (hopefully), this acquaintance is the only one who has publicly voiced his opinion. Tell him, “You are the new Atticus Finch,” thereby giving him a great compliment and at the same time showing yourself to be an educated person.
Enjoy reading. You might prefer science fiction to classic literature—there's no shame in that. Or maybe you prefer romantic stories. You can find something like this in the literature. Or maybe you find that you like English poetry but aren't keen on American poetry. So what. Everything you read makes you a well-read person. You are exposed to new words and ideas from people from all over the world and from different time periods. Whatever you want to read, trust me, there is plenty of material for you. You're not a Shakespeare fan, but you know all of Asimov's laws of robotics - you're still a well-read person, and you'll have more fun reading what you like.
Sciences nourish youths,
Joy is served to the old,
In a happy life they decorate,
Take care in case of an accident.
(M. V. Lomonosov)
An educated person is not just a person who has a diploma of completed education. This concept is multifaceted and multifaceted, consisting of many criteria that are formed throughout the life of an individual.
Pages of history
What does an educated person mean? Surely many of us have asked this question sooner or later. To answer it, you need to turn to history. Namely, to those days when humanity began to make progress in the development of civilization.
Everything was created and done gradually. Nothing appears immediately, with a wave of the mighty hand of the Creator. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God.” Communication, gestures, signs, sounds arose. It is from these times that the concept of education should be considered. People acquired a common language, an initial knowledge base, which they passed on to children from generation to generation. Man made efforts to develop writing and speech. Rising from these sources, the river of time has brought us to the present. There were many meanders in the bed of this river, incredible work was invested and colossal work was done. But still, this river brought us to the life as we see it now. Books have preserved and brought to us everything that man has created over the centuries. We draw knowledge from these sources and become educated people.
An educated person: concept, criteria, aspects
The interpretation of this term is ambiguous; researchers offer many definitions and variations. Some believe that an educated person is an individual who has graduated from an educational institution and undergone comprehensive training in a certain field of knowledge. For example, these are doctors, teachers, professors, cooks, builders, archaeologists, managers and other specialists. Others argue that, in addition to state-commercial education, a person must also have social, life experience gained in travel, trips, and in communicating with people of different ethnic groups, classes and levels. However, such an interpretation is incomplete, since an educated person is a person of certain moral principles who has managed to achieve something in his life thanks to his knowledge, erudition, culture and determination. From all this we conclude that an educated person is not only the smartest person, but also a person with a capital P. Therefore, most researchers give a more precise description of this term. They believe that an educated person is an individual who has received the knowledge that is offered by civilization itself. He has cultural and life experience, historically accumulated in the process of development and formation of culture, industry, industry, etc.
The image of an educated person consists of many criteria and personality traits:
- Availability of education.
- Language skills.
- Culture of behavior.
- Expanded horizons.
- Erudition.
- Wide vocabulary.
- Erudition.
- Communication skills.
- A thirst for knowledge.
- Eloquence.
- Flexibility of mind.
- Ability to analyze.
- The desire for self-improvement.
- Determination.
- Literacy.
- Good manners.
- Tolerance.
The role of education in human life
An educated person strives for knowledge for orientation in the world. It is not so important for him to know how many elements are in the periodic table, but he needs to have a general understanding of chemistry. In every field of knowledge, such a person navigates easily and naturally, understanding that single accuracy in absolutely everything is impossible. This allows you to see the world from a different angle, navigate space, and makes life bright, rich and interesting. On the other hand, education acts as the enlightenment of everyone, the endowment of knowledge to be able to distinguish reality from imposed opinion. An educated person does not succumb to the influence of sectarians or advertising tricks, since he constantly analyzes what he sees and hears, forming the only correct decision about the reality of what is happening. With the help of education, an individual achieves his goals, improves himself and expresses himself. Thanks to reading, an erudite person listens to his inner world, finds important answers, subtly feels the world, becomes wise and erudite.
The Importance of School Education
The first stage in the formation of each individual as an “educated person” is a primary educational institution, namely school. There we get the basics of knowledge: we learn to read, write, draw, and think clearly. And our future development as a full-fledged representative of society largely depends on how much we assimilate this initial information. From birth, parents develop a child's thirst for knowledge, explaining the importance of education in life. Thanks to the school, the abilities of each student are revealed, a love of reading is instilled, and the foundations are laid in society.
School is the foundation for the development of every educated person. It solves a number of important problems.
- Primary education of a person, the transfer of social, life, scientific experience in significant areas, historically accumulated by civilization.
- Spiritual and moral education and personal development (patriotism, religious beliefs, family values, culture of behavior, understanding of art, etc.).
- Preservation and strengthening of health, both physical and mental, without which a person will not be able to realize himself.
Self-education and social, life experience are not enough to become educated, therefore the role of school in the life of a modern individual is invaluable and irreplaceable.
The role of books in education
From time immemorial, it is in books that knowledge of various fields and topics is concentrated - literature, science, history, etc. No learning is possible without books. The level of education of each individual depends on the degree of knowledge of information from textbooks. A well-read person is a person who owns information obtained from various sources.
The literature created by humanity and carried through the years is incredibly diverse. Each book has a special impact on a person.
- Special literature (textbooks, manuals, methodological recommendations, encyclopedias and reference books) helps us look at this world in a new way, discover secret relationships and perceive reality differently.
- Fiction books (literary classics) make our inner world richer, develop a sense of beauty, and form historical self-awareness and culture. There is a whole list of works that every educated person must know.
Thanks to reading, a person receives an education, learns the norms of behavior in society, expands his vocabulary, increases his cultural level, broadens his horizons, etc. Books are the only reliable source of information in the world, helping people for several centuries.
Culture in human life
An equally important role in education is played by culture, the presence of which is an indispensable quality of an educated person. The norms of behavior in society are the same for everyone, but not everyone follows them. What does it mean to be a cultured person? We know about a person that, first of all, he is well-mannered, has pleasant manners and knows how to speak politely in any situation. Those who do not know how to behave in society can hardly be called educated. Human culture and morality are primarily influenced by family values and traditions. The role of education in the formation of a cultural personality is also important.
Most researchers argue that science and education arose first, and only then culture. Historically, it was the case that an educated person appeared first, and only then a cultured one. Thus, these two concepts are interrelated, but developed independently of each other. Education involves the study of art, traditions, morals, rules of behavior and principles. At the same time, a cultured person is not always educated.
Education and intelligentsia
In the modern understanding, an intellectual is undoubtedly an educated, erudite person, cultured, polite, and strictly adhering to moral principles. For an intelligent person, it is bad to speak badly about other people, disrespectfully, using profanity and being rude in communication is unacceptable. Looking into history, we can recall a separate class to which all people with education belonged. An intelligent person is not only well educated, he is also well-read, erudite, highly intelligent, decent, and committed to
Currently, teachers perceive the image of an intellectual as the ideal of an educated person, to which every student, student, and adult should strive. However, this quality is not a priority or mandatory.
How do we imagine an educated person?
Each of us has our own on this topic. For some, an educated person is one who graduated from school. For others, these are people who have acquired a specialty in a particular field. Still others consider all smart people, scientists, researchers, and those who read a lot and educate themselves, to be educated. But education is the basis of all definitions. It radically changed life on Earth, gave us a chance to realize ourselves and prove to ourselves that everything depends on a person. Education gives you the chance to take a step into another world.
At each stage of personality development, a person perceives the concept of education differently. Children and students are sure that this is simply the smartest person who knows and reads a lot. Students look at this concept from an educational point of view, believing that after graduating from an educational institution, they will become educated people. The older generation perceives this image more broadly and thoughtfully, understanding that, in addition to education, such a person must have his own store of knowledge, social experience, be erudite and well-read. As we see, everyone has their own idea of what an educated person should know.
Self-realization
When a person graduates from school, he experiences extraordinary joy, positive emotions, accepts congratulations and wishes to become a worthy person in the future. Having received a certificate, each graduate embarks on a new path in life towards self-realization and independence. Now you need to take an important step - choose an educational institution and a future profession. Many choose a difficult path to achieve their cherished dream. Perhaps this is the most important moment in a person’s life - to choose a professional activity that suits your soul, interests, abilities and talents. The individual’s self-realization in society and his future happy life depend on this. After all, an educated person is, among other things, a person who has achieved success in one area or another.
The importance of education today
The concept of “education” includes the words “form”, “form”, which means the formation of a person as an individual. It is formed internally by the “I”. Both to himself, first of all, and to the society in which he lives, engages in his field of activity, works and simply enjoys his free time. Undoubtedly, a good education is simply irreplaceable in our time. It is a decent education that opens all doors for an individual, makes it possible to get into “high society”, get a first-class job with a decent salary and achieve universal recognition and respect. After all, you can never have too much knowledge. With every day we live, we learn something new, we receive a certain amount of information.
Unfortunately, in our twenty-first century, the age of digital technologies, communications and the Internet, such a concept as “education” is gradually fading into the background. On the one hand, it would seem that it should be the other way around. The Internet, a bottomless source of useful information, where everything is accessible. There is no need to once again run around libraries, around fellow students in search of a missed lecture, etc. However, along with useful information, the Internet contains a huge amount of useless, unnecessary and even harmful information that clogs the human brain, kills the ability to think adequately, and confuses a person out of the way. Often, low-quality resources and useless social networks attract humanity much more than information from libraries that is useful for self-development.
What does lack of education lead to?
An uneducated person is under the delusion that he knows everything and has nothing more to learn. While an educated person will be confident until the end of his life that his education is not complete. He will always strive to learn what will make his life even better. If a person does not strive to understand the world and self-development, then in the end he ends up in everyday life, a routine where work does not bring either pleasure or sufficient income. Of course, lack of education does not mean a complete absence of any knowledge or certificates. A person can have several degrees and still be illiterate. And vice versa, there are well-educated, well-read people who do not have a diploma, but have high intelligence and erudition thanks to independent study of the world around them, sciences, and society.
It is more difficult for uneducated people to realize themselves, achieve what they want, and find something they like. Of course, remembering our grandparents, who at one time worked more than studied, we understand that it is possible to go through life without education. However, you will have to overcome a difficult road, work a lot physically, ruining both mental and physical health. Lack of education can be imagined as an isolated cube in which a person lives, not wanting to go beyond its boundaries. A raging life will boil and rush around, with magnificent colors, filled with bright emotions, understanding, and awareness of reality. And whether it is worth going beyond the cube in order to enjoy the true, fresh air of knowledge - only the person himself has to decide.
Let's sum it up
An educated person is not only one who has graduated well from school, an educational institution and has a well-paid job in his specialty. This image is unusually multifaceted, including a culture of behavior, intelligence, and good manners.
The main qualities of an educated person:
- education;
- literacy;
- the ability to communicate correctly and express one’s thoughts;
- politeness;
- determination;
- culture;
- ability to behave in society;
- erudition;
- desire for self-realization and self-improvement;
- the ability to subtly sense the world;
- nobility;
- generosity;
- excerpt;
- hard work;
- sense of humor;
- determination;
- wit;
- observation;
- ingenuity;
- decency.
The concept of “educated person” is interpreted in different ways, but the main thing in all definitions is the presence of education, obtained in different ways: through school, university, self-education, books, life experience. Thanks to knowledge, each of us can reach any heights, become a successful, self-realized person, a full-fledged unit of society, perceiving this world in a special way.
Currently, it is difficult to do without education, because any field of activity requires certain skills and abilities. And living in the world without knowing anything about it, like a primitive man, is absolutely pointless.
Finally
In the article we examined the main criteria, definitions of an educated person, and answered the question of what it means to be a cultured person. Each of us evaluates and looks at things according to our social status and ability to perceive the world around us. Some people don’t even realize that it’s bad for an intelligent person to say offensive things to someone they’re talking to. Some have learned this truth from an early age. After all, a person’s worldview is primarily influenced by the education of people who put certain information into it and were guides into this life.
We also found out that a well-read person is an individual who reads not only specialized, educational literature, but also the works of the classics. Much in this world is interconnected, but it is education that plays the main and decisive role. Therefore, it is worth taking it with all seriousness, desire and understanding. We ourselves are the masters of our lives. We are the creators of our own destiny. And how we live this life depends entirely on us. Despite the difficulties, political or military, our ancestors created excellent conditions for our life. And it is in our hands to make these conditions even better for our descendants. We need education in order to arrange our lives according to our own wishes and become a happy person.
It is difficult to improve your education via the Internet. In order to become an erudite person, you must remember to visit the library and read books by an educated person. We bring to your attention popular publications that every educated person should definitely read; this will make you an interesting, well-read, cultural interlocutor.
- Abulkhanova-Slavskaya K. A. Activity and personality psychology.
- Afanasyev V. G. Society: systematicity, knowledge and management.
- Brauner J. Psychology of cognition.